Minister, Aceh governor discuss arrests
Minister, Aceh governor discuss arrests
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno called Aceh Governor
Abdullah Puteh to Jakarta on Thursday evening following the
arrest of nine South Aceh administration officials and elected
local legislators for alleged links to the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) separatist group.
Ministry spokesman I Nyoman Sumaryadi confirmed the meeting,
but said there had been no specific results as of 10 p.m. on
Thursday evening, at which time the meeting was still underway.
Nyoman said the meeting was aimed at discussing the
possibility of speeding up the planned screening of civil
servants in Aceh following the arrests.
The home ministry is responsible for conducting the operation
to strengthen the local administration in Aceh as part of an
integrated operation in the province. The government imposed
martial law in Aceh on May 19.
The nine people detained on Tuesday came from the town of
Tapaktuan. They were identified as Azwar Rahman, chief of the
local manpower and population office, Daud A. Yusufi, chairman of
the local chapter of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, Rais, an
employee with the South Aceh district administration,
Akhiruzzaman, a candidate member of the local General Elections
Commission, Teuku Muzakir, who chairs the Tapaktuan business
association, and local lawmakers M. Nazir Ali of the National
Mandate Party (PAN), Jamidin of the United Development Party
(PPP), Saleh K. of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and T.
Sukandi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan).
Last week the military detained two local legislators from
Sabang and Aceh Besar representing the PPP and Golkar
respectively, for allegedly donating money to the rebels.
Aceh military spokesman Lt. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki gave no
details on where the officials were being held or whether they
would be charged.
The home ministry's Director General for General Affairs,
Progo Nurdjaman, who has been tasked with designing the format of
the screening process, is now in Aceh together with the chief of
the Civil Service Commissioners (BKN) and top officials from the
Office of the State Minister for Administrative Reforms.
The screening is intended to measure the level of GAM
influence within the Aceh bureaucracy. At present, there are
about 67,000 civil servants in the province.
The martial law administrator in Aceh plans to expand the
screening to include elected local legislators and subdistrict
chiefs.
Vice President Hamzah Haz said the arrests were carried out to
help resolve the conflict in Aceh.
He said the martial law administrator would not be reckless in
detaining those allegedly linked to GAM.
"If there is no strong prima facie evidence, there will be no
arrests. But all those who are involved with GAM will be legally
processed," Hamzah said.
As of Thursday, a thorough investigation against the officials
was underway, according to military sources.
Security authorities in Aceh have also arrested human rights
activists allegedly sympathizing with GAM. The military has named
the Aceh Referendum Information Center (SIRA) non-governmental
organization part of the rebels.